Shabazz Napier leads UConn past Kentucky for NCAA title

Point guard Shabazz Napier scored 22 points as UConn posted a 60-54 victory over Kentucky in the NCAA championship game Monday night in Arlington, Texas, to give the Huskies their second title in four seasons.

Napier, a Roxbury product, was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

Seventh-seeded UConn (32-8), which never trailed, took a 15-point lead in the first half. Kentucky (29-11) rallied to get within a point with 8:13 remaining, but the Huskies responded, pulling back ahead by a comfortable margin and not missing from the free throw line (10-for-10) to ice it.

It marked a quick return to power by UConn, which was banned from participating in last year’s tournament due to its poor academic rating.

“You’re looking at the hungry Huskies,” Napier said in a postgame interview on the court. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is what happens when you banned us.”